NaupUus 10(2), 145-148, 2002 145

First record of Pomatogebia operculata (Schmitt, 1924) (Thalassinidea: Upogebiidae), inVenezuela n waters.

Lira, C; Blanco-Rambla, J. P.; Bolanos, J.; Hernandez, G. and Hernandez, J. Universidad de Oriente, Apdo. Postal 658, Porlamar 6301, e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The ghost shrimp Potamogebia operculata is recorded in Venezuela for the first time, on the basis of two specimens (1 male and 1 ovigerous female) that were collected by hand in coral crevices of shallow waters of the Island of La Tortuga (southeastern ). This species is characterized by the absence of postocular spine, rostrum exceeding eyestalks, chelipeds with fixed finger as long as dactylus, fifth and sixth abdominal segments ornamented with pattern of rugae dorsaUy, distal margin of telson wider than the proximal one, with longitudinal ribs dorsaUy. The known range of P. operculata extends from northwestern Florida (USA) throughout the to Brazil. The record of this species increases the number of ghost shrimps known from Venezuela to 25. Key words: biodiversity, Caribbean, benthos, crustacean, Decapoda, Pomatogebia

Introduction

Thalassinid shrimps constitute a singular group of marine crustaceans distributed worldwide along the Uttoral and sublittoral zones of tropical and subtropical waters, and usually inhabiting anoxic sediments and their success seems to depend on their metabolic adaptations (Blanco-Rambla, 1996). Thalassinids have been a crustacean group scarcely studied in Venezuela (Blanco-Rambla, 1996). Their first record in Venezuelan marine waters was presented by Biffar (1970), who described the ghost shrimp Eucalliax quadraculata, based on some specimens collected at late XIX century in waters of the state of . Up to date, 24 species belonging to six families have been reported: Axiidae (1 genus and 1 species), Micheleidae (1 genus, 1 species), Upogebiidae (1 genus, 5 species), CaUianideidae (Igenus, 1 species), CtenocheUdae (2 genera, 3 species.) and CaUianassidae (8 genera, 13 species) (Biffar, 1971; Rodriguez, 1980; Williams, 1993; Blanco and Linero, 1994; Blanco-Rambla, 1995, 1996, 1999; Blanco- Rambla and Lemaitre, 1999; Blanco-Rambla etal, 1995). This study deals with the presence of the ghost shrimp Pomatogebia operculata in Venezuelan marine waters. Photographic evidence and diagnosis of the collected specimens are provided.

Material and Methods

Two specimens of Potamogebia operculata w&te extracted from coral crevices found at 1.5 m deep, in Carenero lagoon. La Tortuga island (10°53'34"N - 65°14'47"W). The specimens were preserved in 90 % ethyUc alcohol. The Carapace Length (CL) cover the distance from the frontal margin to the posterior margin of the carapace. The total length (TL) represents the distance from the orbital margin to the telson distal S^ margin. Both measurements were made with a caliper (0.5 mm precision). ""^ The material is deposited at the Laboratorio de Carcinologia, Universidad de Oriente, at Boca de g Rio, Margarita island. < Lira el al. "First record of Pomalogebia opermlata in Venezuelan waters " 146 Results

Vomatogebia operculata (Schmitt, 1924) Figs. 1,2 Upogebia (Gebiopsis) operculata Schmitt, 1924: 91, Lam. V: figs. 1-4. Gebiopsis hartmeyeri.- Balss, 1924: 178, figs. 1,2, Upogebia operculata.- Thistle, 1973: 1,2,14,23.- Coelho and Ramos-Porto, 1987: 35,36.- Scott et al, ••. 483-495, figs. la,2b,3a,b,4a,5a,7,8. bia (Calliadne) operculata.- De Man, 1928:24,37,50.- Schmitt, 1935: 197, fig 59. lia opercula.- Williams and Ngoc Ho, 1990:614, fig. 1.- Williams, 1993: 10-13, fig. 5.- Melo, 1999: 402, fig. 270.

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Figure 2: Pomatogebm operculata somits AV-AVI and tail fan Naupljus 10(2), 145448, 2002 21L

Material examined: Carenero lagoon, La Tortuga island (10°53'34"N - 65°14'47"W), 1.5 m depth, 06/06/2001: 1 male, 1 ovigerous female, in coral crevices; coU. I. Hernandez, J. Bolaiios and J. Hernandez. Diagnosis: Anterior carapace dorsally compressed (flattened), setosous; with spines decreasing in size posteriorly. Two grooves run parallel to the lateral margins of the anterior carapace, each flanked by a row of spines. Rostrum subtriangular, barely deflected; a pair of subterminal spines near the lateral margin exceeding eyestalk. Cervical groove deep and continuous. Postocular margin sinuous and spineless. Eyestalk exceeding the distal end of second article of antennular peduncle. Chelipeds setosous, spineless. Carpus with a longitudinal groove. Palm with longitudinal fringes of setae. Fixed finger as long as dactylus. Second pair of pereiopods spineless, longer and more setosous than the others. Dactylus of pereiopods less than a half the large of propodus. Abdomen arched dorsally on segments 1 - IV, tergum of this segments with dense fringe of setae on posterior margin and a transverse band across the anterior half Dorsal surface of abdominal segments V and VI with symmetrical rugae. Uropods ornamented as telson. Tail fan with dense fringe of setae on distal margin that joins with the two last abdominal segments, forming a subcircular operculum when extended. Distal end of telson broader than proximal one, sides diverging posteriorly, surface eroded and bearing 6 ribs longitudinally. Measurements: Male: CL: 3.90 mm, TL: 21.10 mm; Ovigerous female: CL: 4.05 mm, TL: 27.00 mm. Color: The preserved specimens were pale creme and reddish colored. Remarks: The family Upogebiidae has five genera: Upogebia (78 species), Tuerkajogehia (1 species), Wolffogebia (3 species), Gebiacantha (11 species) and Pomatogebia (3 species). The genus Pomatogebia was erected by Williams and Ngoc-Ho (1990) for 3 species of ghost shrimp from western Atiantic (P. operculatd) and eastern Pacific (P. rugosa and P. cocosid) previously placed in Upogebia. P. operculata became the type species of the genus. Members of this genus could be distinguished from those of the genus Upogebia by their operculate abdomen and their multiribbed telson with convex posterior margin and divergent lateral margins. Upogebia lacks of operculate abdomen, and its telson is basically rectangular, and margin never divergent and never displays multiple longitudinal ribbing (Williams and Ngoc-Ho, 1990, Williams, 1993). This species has been reported from USA, Bahamas, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Lesser , Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Colombia and Brazil (Williams, 1993). This is the first record of the species from Venezuela.

Acknowledgements ______„

This study is a part of the long term project "Crustaceos Decapodos bentonicos litorales de la isla de La Tortuga, Venezuela" supported by FONACIT; SI- 99000932. The trip from Margarita island to La Tortuga island was possible by the help of VigHancia Costera, his Commander Tcnel. (GN) GuiUermo Bonacia, and the crew of the ship "Rio Tocuyo".

References " ^

Balss, H. 1924. Westindische decapoden. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 61(7/8): 177-182. Biffar, T. A. 1970. Three new species of callianassid shrimp (Decapoda, Thalassinidea) from the Western KJ^ Atiantic. Proceedings of the Biological Societ)' of Washington, 83(3): 35-50 iS Biffar, T. A. 1971. The genus Callianassa (Crustacea, Decapoda, Thalassinidea) in south Florida, with keys S, to the Western Atiantic species. Bulletin of Marine Science, 21(3): 637-715. ^ Blanco-Rambla, J. P. 1995. Additional records of ghost shrimps (Decapoda, Thalassinidea) from Venezuela. ^ Caribbean Marine Studies, 4: 59-75. Lira et at. "First record of Vomatogebia opermkta inVenezuela n waters " 148

Blanco-Rambla, J. P. 1996. Thalassinideos de la region oriental de Venezuela (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea); 63p. Trabajo de ascenso Profesor Asistente. Departamento de Biologia Marina, Institute Oceanografico de Venezuela. Universidad de Oriente. Blanco-Rambla, J.P. and Lemaitre, R. 1999. Neocallichirus raymanningi, a new species of ghost shrimp from the northeastern coast of Venezuela (Crustacea: Decapoda: CaUianassidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 112(4): 768-777 Blanco, J. P. and Linero., 1.1994. New records and new species of ghost shrimps (Crustacea: Thalassinidea) from Venezuela. Bulletin of Marine Science, 55(1): 16-29. Blanco, J. P., Linero., I, and L. B. Lares. 1995. A new callianassid (Decapoda, Thalassinidea) from the southern Caribbean Sea. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 108(1): 102-106. Coelho, P. A. and M. Ramos-Porto. 1987. Sinopses dos Crustaceos decapodos BrasHeiros (Famihas Callianasidae, Callianideidae, Upogebiidae, Parapaguridae, Paguridae, Diogenidae). Trabalhos Oceanograficos da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, 19:27-53. De Man, J. G. 1928. The Decapoda of the Siboga expedition, Part 7: The Thalassinidae and CaUianassidae collected by the Siboga Expedition with some remarks on the Laomediidae. Siboga-Expeditie, Monographic, 39a6:l-187. Rodriguez, G. 1980. Crustaceos decapodos de Venezuela. Institute Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas. . 494 pp Melo, G. S. 1999. Manual de identificafao dos Crustacea Decapoda do Htoral brasileiro: Anomura, Thalassinidea, Palinuridae, Astacidae. Editora Pleiade. Sao Paulo, 551 pp. Schmitt, W L. 1924. Report on the Macrura, Anomura, and Stomatopoda collected by the Barbados- Antigua expedition from the University of Iowa in 1918. University of Iowa Studies in Natural History, 10(4):65-99. Schmitt,W. L. 1935. Crustacea Macrura and Anomura of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Scientific survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Part 2. New York Academic Science. 126-227 Scott, P. J., H. Reiswig and B. Marcotte. 1988. Ecology, funcional morphology, behaviour, and feeding in coral-and sponge-boring species of Upogebia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea). Canadian Journal of Zoology 66(2):483-495 Thistie, D. 1973. A taxonomic comparison of the American Upogebia (Decapoda: Thalassinidea), including two new species from the Caribbean. Breviora, 408:1-23. Williams, A. B 1993. Mud shrimps, Upogebiidae, from the Western Atiantic (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 544: 1-77. Williams, A. B. and Ngoc-Ho, N. 1990. Pomatogebia, a new genus of Thalassinidean shrimps from western hemisphere tropics (Crustacea: Upogebiidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 103 (3): 614-616.

Received: II* Nov 2002 Accepted: 18* Mar 2003

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